The Girl Who Should Have Had Him
by morwenandhercats
Summary: Sara Williams, now an accomplished witch and magical LCP, sets out on a new fantastical adventure when a Polar Bear shows up on her doorstep asking her for help to break his curse. Although Jareth hasn't been a part of her life since college the Champion of the Labyrinth is looking forward to venturing back into the magical world. Based on East of the Sun and West of the Moon.
1. The Bear

Sara wished the polar bear could be called a surprise. But in the years that had passed since she defeated the Labyrinth nothing surprised her much anymore. She'd met elves, dwarves and giants. She'd gone to a Dragon's funeral. She'd travelled to organize awareness banquets for Havfrue and relocate displaced Huldre. She'd headed up negotiations with the Fossegrim over payment for music lessons. She'd solved a series of disappearances thanks to a Nøkken. Then there were weekly round tables between various nisse and the homeowners who moved in above them. Plus the goblins, who were everywhere, and always ready to help despite their incompetence and the lack of evidence that the King cared where they were. Not to mention the animals - three cats, a German Shepherd and a Great Dane - all of whom had been given or discovered and made up her family. So the polar bear showing up on the doorstep of her cottage on the outskirts of Duluth was not a surprise. Well maybe a little bit of one when it opened it's mouth.

"I'd like to extend an invitation to you to come live with me." It was not the type of voice Sara expected from a Bear. She stepped back into her house as invitation.

"Come in, Sir and rest. Have you journeyed very far?" She moved into the large formal living room she used for clients, human or otherwise. The Bear lumbered in and got comfortable as Sara sat in her favorite chair and pulled out her glasses. "You wanted to invite me to live with you?"

The Bear sighed as he settled. "Yes."

"Why?" Sara kept her tone professional. Sara worked hard to build this space where her human life and the world she loved and worked in could coincide without colliding. She was a mentor and a guide, a witch and an LPC. She'd worked slowly and methodically to make a life that was precisely as she imagined it in the days after the Labyrinth. Needless to say, exposure to another dimension had meant that Sara's teenage and early twenties were different than those of her counterparts.

"Because you're the only one who can help me." The Bear seemed to smile. "I've been placed under a curse and it will break if I take you with me and we live together for a year. Besides Sara, you could use the sabbatical."

Her name sounded familiar in his voice but Sara often dismissed those types of coincidences on the peach. There was no way to deny that she'd eaten goblin fruit and that goblin fruit changed you. Voices seeming familiar, premonitions, seeing things others didn't, places that gave her déjà vu she chalked it up to the aftertaste of peach that came to her mouth.

"I still don't understand what you're asking. I want to know full details before I agree to anything." She got up to turn on the electronic kettle.

"It's a simple curse that makes me this bear. I need one who can walk in between, one who is fair, one who will stay without ever seeing my true form for a year and the curse will lift." The Bear shifted. "If you're making tea then I'd like some."

Sara nodded and started the tea prep. "So I take a year off to live with you where?"

The Bear seemed to pause as if unsure what he wanted to tell her. "I have a family castle I've been using near the border."

"Which border?" Sara set out her largest mug, a handmade gift from some giants who'd travelled far to seek her help with their youngest child, and poured the Bear tea. He sipped at it, sitting back in a human fashion and holding the mug between his paws.

"The first border." The Bear replied meeting her gaze.

"You want me to move to Norway with you?" Sara giggled some. "Do you know how many persons I need to deal with here in the new world now that there are so many borders. There's one not seven days from here that gives me enough trouble and you want me to move back to Norway for a whole year?"

The Bear shrugged. "You could use the sabbatical."

Sara knew the Bear was right. She'd just finished a case just a month ago involving Mara terrorizing an entire county in Wisconsin. She'd been working non stop. She could use time to record her cases, study up on dwarven international relations, practice her music and of course, read. She looked about her small abode. The animals had wandered in, nonplussed by the Bear and taken up in their different places around the sitting room. It had been a long time since she'd felt this content.

"No." Sara determined, reaching for Silo, one of her cats. "There's no guarantee that I'll be able to rest if I'm living close to the first border."

The Bear nodded. "If you don't mind I'd like to come back in a week and get your answer from you then. Take your time. Draw up a contract if you need. But please don't be hasty and say no."

The proposition was satisfactory to Sara so she pulled out her phone and opened her calendar. "I can schedule you for Thursday."

The Bear nodded. "I'll be here in time for tea."

* * *

That night Sara dreamt of snow. Crisp, clean snow that covered the whole land as far as her eyes could. There were footprints leading away from her to the west and the east as if she'd walked from one direction to meet another at this exact spot only to have miss them. Had they walked back the way they came in their same footprints like she had so often as a child? Who was she meant to meet? She dreamt of eyes that didn't match and the sound that goblins make when they're scurrying from the room and the smell of peach blossoms. She dreamt and woke rested.

Sara followed a simple but careful schedule. She wasn't religious or even spiritual but let her witchcraft feed her soul. She blessed her morning coffee and used the cream cheese she'd enchanted for enlightenment on her bagel. She checked her blog and emails. She wrote in her book of shadows and read her daily tarot spread. Judgement, The Six of Swords and The King of Cups. Rebirth and an inner calling, going somewhere better and repressed feelings. Sara was a practical witch with no notions of grandeur contrary to her early youth. Sure when she was 15 and didn't believe in the Goblin King she'd spoken boldly of her own power. Now she was certain any power she had didn't need grand gestures just simple hope. Clients came and went. The days trudged on filled with reading, writing, projects and conference calls. It was hard to be an expert in her field but Sara enjoyed the work. As the week passed she found herself making excuses, a redirecting energy so that she could have a clear schedule once Thursday tea time rolled around.

Every night she dreamt of snow and everyday she drew the card Judgement no matter the length or complexity of the spread. Rebirth. An Inner Calling. A New Phase. Absolution. The words cut into her as she sat, soaking in the autumn sun Thursday afternoon. Change was happening and it smelled of ozone and mint. It was claiming her intuition, demanding her energy and coaxing out a sense of adventure she'd long sworn to never indulge. Sara didn't want a sign even as she found herself wishing that the path would become clear to her. She closed her eyes and let the sun warm her face.

"I don't want to scare you. Bears, it seems, make less noise than I anticipated." The Bear sat across from her, having followed the garden path to the back of the cottage and into the garden. Sara didn't know how long she'd sat there with her eyes closed but he'd managed to sneak up on her.

"How long have you been a Bear?" Sara asked, getting up and moving towards the house. "Feel free to sit out here. I'm just going to get tea."

The Bear followed so he was sitting on the patio looking through the open sliding glass door into Sara's kitchen. Sara meanwhile moved about the kitchen doing her typical afternoon tea dance. She pulled down mugs and sniffed loose leaf to find the right combo. She set the electric kettle and warmed the tea pot. Once she'd set the tray Sara moved to the back patio once again, setting the tray on the table and resuming her place in one of the deck chairs.

The Bear settled near her. "I've been a bear a long time for my standards but according to your world maybe two, three years. I didn't mind at first. And I didn't know how to break the curse."

Sara poured them both tea as Solar, her Great Dane, lumbered out of the house to lie next to her feet. None of the animals seem perturbed by the Bear. Sara took their reactions very seriously. If someone made any of her animals uncomfortable or behave defensively then it was a recommendation that they be disposed of in short order. But there was no indication that the Bear was a threat to her in anyway. She asked another question. "So why me?"

"I knew you wouldn't freak out." The Bear replied. "And I can take care of your family while you're living with me. Even your animals."

Sara shrugged. She hadn't seen her family since Toby's eighth grade graduation. Distance and difference meant phone calls were stilted and short. "That would be good for them, I'm sure. My younger brother Toby is getting to an age where I got into a lot of trouble. I hope he's better than I."

"Do you really regret those adventures?" The Bear's head was resting on his paws but his eyes were focused.

Sara felt herself begin to shrug but stopped and drew her legs up to her chest instead. "No. But it was a lot of trouble for a fifteen year old." She reached up to pull her dark hair into a bun, feet on the edge of the chair, eyes on the horizon. "But regret is the complete wrong word. I thought I could write that out of my story but I think before my story ends it'll mean something." She broke off her staring contest with the clouds and looked at the Bear. "What do you think?"

The Bear stretched and rolled his shoulders. "I think we should be going if we're going to beat the sun."

She let her legs drop and rubbed her shoulders. The house was quiet. The land was quiet. The noise in Sara's head was deafening. As she stood, Solar stood too and she patted his head. The Dog and The Bear seemed so much more impressive against the fading light than the Woman between them. Sara reached out to touch the Bear. He pushed his head into the palm of her hand and closed his eyes. Sara wove her fingers through his coarse hair and breathed in the smell of him.

"Climb on my back, Sara."

The words seeped into her bones and made her heart race. It felt like the moment she first saw a giant or when the Mara had tried to kill her but failed or when the Goblin King had, in a burst of glitter, taken her to the Underground.

"You don't need a bag or anything. We have everything at the castle."

Sara looked over her carefully made house and simple garden. It shouldn't be this hard to just leave everything she'd built behind. She didn't know what lay ahead or when she would return but someone needed her help. So Sara was going to give it. Carefully, Sara pulled herself up onto the Bear.

"Hold tight" He whispered as he started to run. Sara, marveling at how much larger and stronger the Bear seemed now that she was on his back, buried her hands in his fur and hunched down to stop the wind from tearing at her hair. "It's going to be a long night. Sleep. When the sun wakes you, you'll get to see the castle.

* * *

A/N Any characters from _Labyrinth_ belong to their owners. Due to the Norwegian origins of the folk tale East of the Sun and West of the Moon Sara's name will have the Scandinavian spelling and all non Labyrinth creatures mentioned will come from Norse mythology or Scandinavian folklore.


	2. The Castle

The Bear was right. When the sun rose and woke her Sara found before her a castle made entirely of ice and snow. She breathed out watching it turn to clouds and shivering.

"Are you afraid?" The Bear whispered.

No, she wasn't.

"Let's get you inside." The Bear said, lumbering slowly to the massive front gate. The guards, appearing to be made of snow, move to lower the drawbridge and great the Bear as "Your Majesty".

"You're their king?" Sara asked, still comfortably perched on the Bear back. She felt his chest rumble beneath her as he spoke.

"I've been King many places for a long time. So long I can't recall my first kingdom. But yes, I am King here." He brought them into the Great Hall, made of wood despite the exterior of the castle, where servants stood in a line. They appeared to be human at first but as Sara watched them shift in their line it was apparent they weren't used to moving so much in the physical realm. She dismounted and glanced at the Bear as he greeted the assembly. "This is Sara Williams. She is our guest of honor and wise in the way of our worlds so there's no need for disguises."

Their glamours dropped and Sara found herself looking at a mix of elves or alfr, so light they seemed to glow, and dwarves or dvergr, so dark they seemed to be shadows. She curtsied to them all and received their bows and bobs in return. The hall had vaulted ceilings and multiple fireplaces. A throne and dais took up the full northern wall. Tables and couches filled the space giving it an air life. Books scattered across tables, mugs and plates sat next to plush chairs. Open double doors led off to West and East. The tapestries and carvings told stories of the Aesir and the Vanir of the Norse legends. As Sara wandered into the center of the Hall, watching as the carvings of Jotunn on the ceiling move across the mountains, she heard the Bear-King dismiss his people. She tore her gaze from the magic to look at her host. He sat back on his haunches watching her, eyes twinkling it seemed.

"I'm not sure where you've ruled before but this is simply delightful." She moved to touch the crushed velvet of one of the sofa sets.

"Better than chickens everywhere?" The Bear-King asked with a small laugh.

Sara laughed as well, recalling the throne room of the Castle at the end of the Labyrinth. She hadn't spent much time there before running off the Escher room and getting Toby back. "Better than goblins too."

The Bear-King laughed harder. "They're around here somewhere. The alfr do a good job of finding them tasks they love and are actually capable of doing. I'm sure they'll come pester you before long. In the meantime would you like a tour?"

Sara let the affection she heard in his voice settle inside her before nodding. The Bear-King took off towards the West wing with Sara in step with him.

"The castle is old and has had many Kings and Queens. It will have many more after I've left. For now however it serves perfectly to help me end this ridiculous curse. There's a suite of rooms in the West wing you'll enjoy. You'll have everything you need. If you lack anything and can't find me then Lyra will assist you. I have to travel some days for business but will be home for dinner, which I hope you'll take with me each night in my private dining room. My suite is at the end of the same wing as you." The Bear-King stopped in front of a door carved with the image of Freya. A small alfr, so bright she was mostly light but warm so she didn't hurt Sara's eyes stood by the door, linens in hand. "This is Lyra. Lyra, this is Sara. If she needs you, you'll help?"

The light girl giggled and nodded before scurrying off down the hallway. Sara watched her flit away and smiled.

"She's good at her job but not very talkative. I think she likes me because she giggles every time I talk to her but honestly I can't tell." The Bear-King mused as he pushed open the door to a suite of rooms flooded with natural light and decorated with warm light colors. Sara's breath caught. "I knew you'd like it. Go check out your view."

The floor to ceiling windows looked out over an enormous mountain range. The wind whipped across snow covered hills leading to an iced over lake. It was what Sara believe true winter should look like. The room had an elegant fireplace and more comfortable couches. There were book shelves filled with books whose titles were each more exciting than the last. Sara explored every room and closet - finding things like a king sized tempur-pedic mattress, a deep jacuzzi tub, a small green room filled with flowers, a closet filled with a variety of clothes and shoes.

"The closet is old so I know there's pieces in there that aren't your taste or ever wearable anymore but even when Lyra cleans it the clothes reappear." Sara turned when the Bear-King spoke. He was smiling again. "This is a sabbatical so treat it like that. There's a laptop in the office off the green room and the wifi code is next to that. The only things I ask are you help with local issues brought before the King every Friday and have dinner with me each night. Is that satisfactory for you?"

"I didn't know if I was doing the right thing, dear Sir, but I believe that our time together will be very productive." Sara curtsied to the Bear-King. "And I am grateful that you would ask me to help with your pesky curse."

The Bear-King acknowledge her curtsy. "I am the grateful one. And I apologize for any vagueness that may occur in the months to come. Curses, as I am sure you're aware, are complicated things."

Sara nodded in agreement. "I haven't dealt with a curse for several years and I try not to deal them out myself...or at least not to this scale." She indicated his Bear state and laughed a little. "The greenhouse is an excellent addition to the room. I love the mountain view but I'm glad I'll get to still grow things." She moved out from the overwhelming closet and into the living space again. "And the books. I've been meaning to write a paper about the variances in dealing with multiple old world beings in the new world."

"When you finish we should submit it to the various fae courts." The Bear-King replied. "I afraid I have matters of state to attend to but I would love for you to join me for dinner this evening, in my quarters, at 8:00."

Sara acquiesced and then proceeded to take a long soak in her new tub. Was it crazy to move in with a Bear she hardly knew and promise to live with him for a full year? She scrolled through her texts after her bath. Most of them were over a month old. Friends who lived in other cities, her dad, Toby, work things. Sara loved her life back in the States but here in the Castle already felt better. Wherever here was. Sara assumed they would have been on the human side of the border between Norway and whichever world she was currently residing in. Pulling on a simple, but warm tunic and some jeans Sara set out to solve this mystery. She closed her door and noticed for the first time the floors were covered in plush carpet even in the hallways so she ditched her shoes and set off down the west wing. As she traveled most doors were open to different suites of rooms until she found herself once more in the main hall. People were moving back and forth, setting up chairs and other decorations.

"It's Throne Day tomorrow. The King hears plaintiff's then." A small voice said just to Sara's left as she watched the bustle. Lyra stood, arm crossed, next to her. "But if you want I know cook will gives us tea and cake and then we won't have to help."

A smile creased Sara's face as she noticed the alfr. "Tea and cake sounds excellent." She followed Lyra down the East wing, which seemed to be anything but bedrooms. There was a music room, art studio, library. There were several sitting rooms, a spinning/weaving room, a trophy room. And then, at the end of the hallway was a massive kitchen. Sara had never been in the kitchen of a Michelin star restaurant but she assumed it looking exactly and nothing like this. There was more bustle here than the main hall, alfr working alongside, much to Sara's surprise, goblins. Several of the small creatures froze in their tracks holding various trays of food and cooking utensils. They smiled or waved, one even dropped a platter (empty luckily) to hug Sara's legs. Sara ran into goblins at least every other week and they always greeted her with smiles and cheer. Their King may have no power over her but they seemed to love seeing her. Sara learned to take it in stride after several goblins moved into her closet during college. They could be messy but mostly they just wanted attention. Sara patted on the head before noticing the head chef, a tall thin alfr whose gender Sara quickly decided was moot, coming towards them with a tray full of goodies.

"Come in, come in!" The chef said. "Take a seat at the back table and fill your bellies. I'm Adi and it is my pleasure to welcome you to my kingdom."

Lyra laughed as she took the tray. "Still calling it yours, eh Adi?"

The chef shrugged and move to try one of the soups cooking on the largest range Sara had ever seen. "At the rate we change monarchs it might as well be mine."

"Where are we actually?" Sara queried as she poured tea.

"The border with Midgard and Alfheim on the Alfheim slightly." Adi replied. "That needs more salt. And someone please take the honey buns out, they're burning." The chef turned back to Sara. "We're close to Midgard though but the hardest thing is time here moves a little differently. That makes life complex."

Sara nodded as she drank her tea and tried one of the delectable pastries. "Peach." She commented after she bit into the turnover.

"The King's favorite." Lyra replied making Sara choke a little on her tea.

"Oh really?" Sara tried to talk through the coughing with minor success. "How long has he been Monarch?"

Lyra poured Sara some water. "Forever. Not here but he's always been a King of something. It's in his nature."

"Was he always a Bear?" Sara asked,

"No, I don't think so. That's part of the curse from the Troll Queen." Lyra answered. "I've heard he was most handsome when he's not a Bear. Though he makes a good bear as well."

"You didn't know him before." She had to admit that learning more about her host filled Sara with even more questions. Who was he and why had he picked her? The slick feeling in her gut was as old as it was strong. Tall stone walls in the middle of a wasteland and a Castle that seemed so far away. It all still called to her. The kingdom as great as her own utterly destroyed as if it was a sand castle under her 15 year old feet. She knew better now, didn't she? Better than to get in over head.

"No. None of us did. He's not from our court." Adi replied holding out a spoon with a sort of orange puree on it. "Taste this?"

The soup was tangy with a mix of flavors that Sara thought might be butternut squash but also definitely wasn't. It was good though, warming and encouraging. The hum that passed Sara's lips was completely unexpected. She smiled as Adi met her gaze. The alfr had eyes a shade of gold brown that wasn't human. It didn't frighten her, it only overwhelmed her. Sara broke off her gaze and looked at her shoes.

"What court is he a member of?" Sara wanted a concrete fact to help ground her once more.

Adi spoke as they moved back into the kitchen. "Some say he's belonged to every court at some point. Others say he was never meant to be a King at all. Most, especially the other Monarchs, seem to owe him various favors. He's even been seen often in the company of the Wizard Howl and Sophie She Who Breaks Curse."

This was no concrete but conjecture and did nothing to help Sara's curiosity about her host. Who, speak of the devil, was entering the kitchen himself.

"Adi, is dinner ready?" The Bear-King's voice slipped among them like a pickpocket, taking everyone's full attention before they knew it was gone. Goblins surrounded him and climbed on his back until he shook them off and sent them flying. They laughed and got back up running to their King to be thrown off again.

"It is m'Lord." Adi replied, clapping to assemble his dinner crew.

"Would you like to join me Sara?" The Bear-King, despite the goblins about him, looked regal. Sure he was a Bear but Sara knew there was more there than meets the eye. Though meeting his eyes was easy. He seemed to like watching her. Sara enjoyed watching him back.

"I would be delighted." She followed him from the kitchen back to his quarters. The royal chambers looked like whoever lived in them was used to comfort and being an animal. The table was low and surrounded but pillows to lounge on. It sat in front of wide windows overlooking a lake at the base of the mountains. A fire roared in a pit in the center of the room. The sun had set, leaving them to bask in the glow of fire and moonlight. The meal was filling. The company was inviting. The evening passed with no more mention of the past but instead they spoke of various theories of magic and how best to negotiate with different species. Sara went to bed that night refreshed, full and content. There were mysteries out there but they would each be solved in their time.

Before the room was even fully dark and filled with moonlight Sara heard her door open. Sitting up in bed Sara looked to see who needed her. Solar had often crept in when the lights went out and slept on the floor by the bed. When she sat up Sara remembered she wasn't home, in her cosy bed. And the figure who stood by the door looked all too familiar. Admittedly there was much less glitter and he seemed to be dressed a tiny bit less extravagant but there's no mistaking the Goblin King.

"I should have known." Sara whispered as she slipped out of bed. "I should have trusted my gut and known you were bound to show up."

Jareth bowed slightly and then laughed. "How long has it been?"

"Since Yule when I was 24. A long while to ignore me Goblin King." She wrapped a robe around her and went to hit the lights. Jareth was next to her in an instant, her hand caught in his.

"Don't." He spoke the word gently but firmly. Sara felt herself comply without much fight.

"So we're going to catch up in the dark?" Sara rolled her eyes.

"By the moonlight. It's gotta be this way." He pressed her hand to his lips. "Though moonlight is quite romantic."

Sara sighed and taking him by the hand led him over to the window. There was a seat carved into the floor with seats that were comfortable and a view that was amazing. Jareth sat down close to her and they sat in companionable silence for a moment. It had been years sure but he'd been a regular in her life all through college. She'd missed him when he'd disappeared again after Christmas 6 years prior.

"Where did you go?" Sara whispered. For some reason it felt more natural to be quiet even though no one would overhear them.

"Far away. I got lost for a bit and only made it back to your realm recently. This have been...interesting." Jareth kept his voice quiet too as he reached for her hand. "I missed you."

"I missed you too." Sara let her hand rest in his. "You were the reason I started any of this work. It would have been nice to have your support."

Jareth nodded. "I know. If I could have been there I would have been. You know that. Hoggle said he told you many times."

"Hoggle." Sara smiled. "He did but it didn't make not hearing from you easier."

Jareth nodded. "I know."

Silence rolled over them again. The kind of silence you share with a person who knows you well enough to know when talking won't make a difference. They met eyes, held hands and watched as snow started to fall.

"Just like that second first time." Sara broke the silence, glancing at her companion.

"After you destroyed my kingdom?" Jareth scolded.

"After we figured out that maybe kidnapping me at 15 wasn't a good first impression." Sara giggled. "And that maybe I needed to grow up and you needed to be patient."

"I'm thousands of years old." Jareth leaned in close, his smell wrapping around her. "I just know what I want and when I want it."

"Mmmm you smell good." Sara leaned her shoulder against him. "But you're very impatient."

Jareth shrugged as he traced her jawline. "All I asked for was forever."

Sara laughed. "Forever right now. Such a small thing."

"How about right now forever?" Jareth replied as he stood, taking her hand and leading her back to the bed. "How about we share a bed like we did after studying for midterms Junior year?"

She followed his steps and when they reached the king size bed Sara watched Jareth sprawl himself across the mattress. He patted it. "I'm going to be good."

She took off her robe and climbed up to curl next to him. It had been a long strange day and she welcomed sleep. She also welcomed her old sleeping buddy and felt her heart ease as he settled in next to her.

"Will I see you in the morning?" Sara yawned out the words.

"Maybe, if not I promise I won't be far and I'll be back tomorrow." He patted her head. "Sleep now, precious."

* * *

Authors Note:

Thank you for those who read and reviewed. I've wanted to write this mash up for a while. It's a simple story but I'm enjoying putting my own spin on it.

Tenjp - The animals did find her. I like the thought of animals, creatures and people seeking Sara out because she's magical so her familiars would have found her!

Sara and Sarah are literally the same name. Sara is the Norwegian spelling. Because this is a Norwegian folk tale I went with the alternate spelling. I personally think it doesn't matter how her name is spelled. She's the same character who ran the Labyrinth and this is how I interpret her.


	3. The Throne

He was gone before the sun rose. It didn't really surprise her. He'd never stayed for breakfast when they were sleeping together in college. He'd show up after her afternoon class or work. They'd do her homework, binge tv shows (he was partial to The Office and then Parks and Rec) and fall asleep next to each other. Her various roommates hadn't minded. Karen had offered to pay part of her rent so she could get her own place junior year. It was domestic. He would make food. She would watch the Goblins. They would play scrabble or parcheesi. She'd graduated top of her class and he'd been there to congratulate her under the guise of being her tutor and mentor. Which in many ways he had been. Her first clients in the magical world had been from him. He'd suggested Duluth when she'd been wondering where to set up shop. ' _In Minnesota the veil is thin and a lot of folk from the old norse lands ended up there. I'm sure a counselor and witch like yourself will have no shortage of clients from there.'_ He'd advised and been right. Since moving there at the tender age of 22 she'd been involved nonstop in nonhuman persons rights. It seemed like they would go on as they had. Friends and companions. But when Yule came round that one year and he'd missed taking her to the benefit ball Sara had to let that dream fade. That was the night she'd learned that no one knew Jareth's true age but it was suspected that he was at least 2000 years old. There was a wildness in him that a human like her couldn't compete with.

She showered with fog in her brain. She ate breakfast while staring into space. She spent to morning recalling every moment she could where Jareth had intersected with her life. The thought of him filled her meditation and drove her tarot drawing. She brought her wildwood deck. It felt like a time she needed alternate type voice. How was she supposed to feel about all this? The Seven of Bows lay in front of her. Time to make decisions and pick priorities. Sara laughed as she drew a card for clarity. What was she supposed to let go of? Ten of Stones. What was she supposed to hold onto? Page of Bows. Let go of her home and hold onto this new strange opportunity. She took a deep breath and slipping into clogs she'd stolen from the closet Sara set off to find her host.

The Bear-King was in one of the rooms in the East wing that Sara had not yet ventured into. Herbs hung from the ceiling. There was a fire for boiling and tables for grinding and mixing. It smelled like her cottage and looked how an old apothecary might.

"Sara! Come, Lyra is working on a tincture but we have several orders to fill before the beginning of Throne day." He moved quickly, for a Bear that is, to her side and nudged her to one of the work stations. "If you're living here, you should keep busy. We've got spells and potions to provide for our small, but vibrant, kingdom."

It was a nice work station. The Bear-King left her with a stack of potions and spells to fill and the instructions to bring everything up with Lyra once the Throne day trumpets sounded. She got to work mixing and matching and making magic happen. She followed her own patterns for her work. She was a good witch, people knew it back home. She hoped her work would cut it here on the other side. Though she wasn't really concerned. She was just happy to be part of the workings of the castle.

Throne Day turned out to be a bigger hoopla that expected. There was a presentation of gifts, hearing of pleas and then gifts for those who had asked. Sara sat off to the side with Lyra and watched as both humans and non-humans paid homage to the Bear-King. The feast was devoured. Sara sat at the high table and barely ate for watching those around her enjoy themselves. She watched as elves and dwarves and Fossegrim and goblins and humans and Huldre and Nisse ate and celebrated together.

"Is it like this every throne day?" She turned to her host, sipping at her wine.

The Bear-King who also had barely touched his food hummed and nodded. "Yes. A celebration is better than not a celebration."

Sara giggled. "I guess."

"Wouldn't you prefer to rejoice?" The Bear-King smiled at her. "Also I think that wine is getting to you."

Sara giggled again not minding her buzz. "Maybe but I'm celebrating."

The Bear-King just smiled. "You'll sleep well tonight."

"Maybe." Sara smiled a little at the thought of her visitor from last night. It felt like they had a million things to talk about. She was so lost in thought she didn't see the Bear-King smile with her.

The feast drew to a close and various guests found their way home or to one of the guest rooms. The Bear-King insisted he walk Sara back to her suite. She had to rest her hand on his shoulder thanks to the wine.

"When I was in my early 20s I could drink two whole bottles and not feel shit. I have two cups now and I'm trashed." She whined as they walked down the muffled halls.

"You've always been a lightweight." The Bear-King laughed as he nudged her door open and nudged her to her bed. "But that's ok. You're cute when you're drunk."

Sara snorted at him, collapsed onto her bed and promptly fell asleep. When she woke it was still night and rolling onto her side she saw Jareth asleep next to her. The smile that creased her face as she pushed his shoulder could only be described as ecstatic. He woke up enough to wrap an arm around her and pull her tight to his chest. Sara relaxed against him and let her breathing match his.

"You were having fun tonight." He hummed.

"I was. I was thinking about getting to see you again." Sara confessed. "You're my Bear aren't you?"

Jareth just shrugged. "Curses are complicated things. I'm glad you're here. I didn't want to do this with anyone else."

Sara felt her body waking up against the rumble of his chest. It was good to hear his voice even though she couldn't see his face. "So you deliberately fucked with my life again?"

Jareth must have heard the sarcasm in her tone because all he did was pinch her side before answering. "Yeah, I guess that's one way to look at it. Now hush, precious, and sleep."

Sara slept well and woke to a lonely bed. She found Jareth, in Bear form, having breakfast in the kitchen. "You always leave…"

Jareth tilted his bear head. "It's complicated. For now, let's just say you have dinner with me, get ready for bed and once it's truly dark I'll come have dessert in your room. But no lights. In the meantime eat breakfast and help me with this changeling custody case."

Sara sat for tea and the stimulating legalese of nonhuman person's rights. After the case there were spells to help with, a garden to tend to before it was once again dinner. Night fell and once more Jareth slept in her bed but was gone by morning. Days would pass in this manner. It was easy to watch how he ruled over his people in their various states. Throne days were a highlight. There was a Christening. There were two funerals, one for a giant where Sara couldn't hold back her tears as Jareth eulogized. The King spoke of the challenges meeting the Jotunn race. "This is a time where too much feels larger than life that when you are an old devourer of worlds you may feel like there is nothing left for you. But as our worlds creep closer and closer together I dare to hope that this only means there will be more room for those who truly know what it means to stand tall." Sara cringed at all the puns but the Jotunn in attendance were in tears. Jareth leaned over to whisper in her ear when he'd finished. "They believe puns to be the highest form of intelligence." Sara covered her smile and nodded, pleased that the King seemed to be so attentive to his people's needs. He was benevolent and astute. She watched him condemn a pair of Huldre to death for their crimes. She watched him pardon humans over folk which was unheard of in many circles. Meanwhile Sara herself found her magic deepening, her spells and reading were more potent, more clear. She counseled some of the staff and even started seeing patients from across the King's land. It was fulfilling except for one thing. Every night she sat in the dark, unable to see Jareth's face. They slept side by side and tangled against each other. It was torture not to see his mismatched eyes and delightful smirk. It was frustrating to be unable to touch him and watch him touch her. It filled her thoughts as they sat eating dinner one calm evening.

"I miss your face." Sara whispered during a lull in the conversation.

Jareth snorted a little into his soup. "Do you really? It's an interesting situation we have. We're together and yet, you haven't seen my face in months."

"Years." Sara corrected. "I haven't seen your face in years. Why?"

Jareth paused, laying a paw on the table. "Things happened. Events that led to our current situation. There's a kingdom and a queen that I wasn't interested in until I found myself...at her mercy. She's been using tricks or mischief since I was younger and we first met. But recently she found more effective ways to catch me. And that's how we got to today."

It made sense. However, the memory of standing, dressed to the nines, mascara running a little because her best friend had stood her up to one of the most important events on the year weighed on her. Sara pressed her fingers to the corners of her eyes. She glanced over at Jareth who was watching her with crinkled brow.

"I hurt you." He stated.

Sara shrugged before pushing her chair back from the table. "I want to go take a bath before bed. We can talk later tonight?" She was out the door before he could reply.

* * *

The bath did her good, the smell of honey and lavender from the bubble bath and the towels that were the right type of fluffy and kept warm helped Sara get a grip on her emotions. When she stepped out of the steam of the bathroom she found herself in a colder room lit only by the massive full harvest moon shining through the window. Jareth, in full Goblin King regalia, leaned against the window frame in the alcove silhouetted black. Any grip she'd established slipped like sand through her fingers. He stepped away from the window and moved across the room until he stood just below her one foot on the steps to alcove.

"Hello, precious." He whispered as the moonlight glinted off his glitter in his hair and the spark in his eyes.

"Hello." She replied, her grip on her towel just as loose as the one on her emotions. She took a breath and then stepped down so they were more eye to eye. He wasn't that much taller than she was but he felt huge. For a moment she felt 15 again, defiant and cocky. "You always leave."

Jareth's smile was almost a smirk. "You always accused me of things I have no control over. Isn't that unfair?"

Sara rolled her eyes. "Life's not fair. I learned that a long time ago." She sighed and touched his shoulder. "Just, don't leave again if you can."

Jareth pressed a kiss to her cheek. "If I can, then I won't."

The air was sharp suddenly. Standing there face to face both parties had to admit they missed the other one for all those years. In the past few months together they'd slept in the same bed, eaten their meals together. They'd become inseparable.

"I'm going to kiss you know. Is that ok?" Jareth whispered.

In the dark of the room all Sara had to go on was his voice and the feel of his shoulder. "Yes."

It was a collision but not of cars or bumble bees but of galaxies. Lips on lips, hands on hips, breathing so heavy Sara thought they'd both faint. Jareth kissed her neck and spoke her name. Not like the sex drugged moans of her early 20s but something like a message from the universe told through the lyrics of the perfect song. She felt her head spin as she felt his chest and hips for the first time under her mortal fingers. Centuries divided them but Sara suspected that the pull on her gut matched his. Like a string from their hearts. Like every great romance. Like the best worst night of her life Sara felt the energy between them. Jareth pulled at her towel to free her. Sara smiled as he paused, just looking down at her body and then up at her face. "You consent?"

"Yes." She whispered once more. They collided again as Sara worked to get Jareth as naked as she was. He spun her about the room, trying to keep kissing her, strip and move them to the bedroom. Sara broke away from him for a moment and streaked into the back bedroom. She turned as she ran, seeing Jareth practically stalk her across the floor. She felt a giggle rise. He was still just a silhouette and once he was in the room and shutting the door the night took over. In the dark Sara relied on every other sense. She heard him approach, felt his warmer than human chest under her fingertips when he stopped in front of her. She taste peaches in his kiss and let the smell of wild open desert intoxicate her. Fingers, his and hers, dug into skin and held on muscles. Her knees hit the mattress. Jareth let her fall as he crouched down to take her in his mouth. She felt her wet mix with his and relaxed into letting him eat her. She played with the feathery end so his hair and hummed as he devoured her with his mouth and used his fingers to learn every crease and corner on her before it became too much and Sara came with a tiny squeal. Pulling herself onto the bed fully Sara leaned forward to bring him close. They kissed with the taste of her still on his lips.

"I'd like to do more than just eat you out." Jareth whispered.

Sara moved to touch his cock. It rested heavy in her hand. "I'd like that too."

"I can't get you pregnant and I'm disease free." He seemed so intent. "I know those are important things for humans."

"Thank you. I'd love to fuck you now." Sara giggled some as she traced his cock with her tongue.

"By all means please do." He tangled his fingers in her hair. Sara took all of him in her mouth and let her tongue play. He moaned a little but kept his hands moving over her cheeks, her hair, her neck, gentle and encouraging until her jaw hurt and all Sara wanted was him inside her. She pulled back and moved to straddle him but no sooner was she on top than Jareth spun them so he could press her into the mattress. Her feet over his shoulder and his hips changing angles to hit different spots. He picked her up at one point while moving onto his back and letting her fuck herself on his cock. Sara arched her back and moved her hips to reach the spot she wanted. Every inch of her got his attention, his fingers gripping her ass or flicking her clit, his tongue tracing her nipples. Every inch of him stretched her blissfully.

"Can you cum again?" He whispered as he rolled to the side, still inside her.

"Yeah...I think so." She whispered back, wrapping her legs tighter around his waist.

"Good." He laughed as they started up again, hips and legs moving, hands entwined like beyond this moment they were simply best friends. Jareth used his free hand to support some of his weight as he slide in and out of her. Sara reached down between them to play with her clit until she felt the orgasm build and burst, leaving her breathless. She felt Jareth stiffen and felt him shudder as her followed her into bliss. Having exhausted themselves Sara curled up next to him.

"Sleep well, precious girl." Jareth hummed as he settled in.

Sara kissed Jareth one last time before drifting off to sleep.

* * *

A/N: Thanks for the reviews, they make my day!


	4. The Candle

Time often moves like it's not man made and designated but a product of some devious witchcraft. Sara, however, found herself caught up in a blissful cycle. Days were spent discussing or practicing magic, nights were spent discussing or practicing the budding relationship with Jareth. Despite the challenges Sara found her life fulfilling. That was until Jareth mentioned that it was Toby's birthday was coming up.

"How do you know that?" Sara quirked an eyebrow at the Bear-King over her glass of wine at dinner.

"Sara, you're family is important to me. So I know little details like their birthdays." Jareth snorted, his snout wrinkling. "Do you want to go visit them? It would be good for you."

It didn't sound like a good idea. Sara hadn't seen her father and stepmother for more than a brief holiday afternoon in 3 years. She wouldn't mind going to the see Toby though. He was turning 15 and she wanted to be there for him but age gaps and distance made their relationship more formal than familial. "I'll have to think about it." She replied. "It's been a while and what am I supposed to tell them?"

"What do you always tell them?" Jareth asked, using a single paw to pick up a slice of quiche and eat it in one bite.

"I don't really share with them. I say I work as a counselor and that's it. We're just not that type of family." She shrugged. "Why?"

"Curiosity." Jareth smirked which was surprising because he was currently a Bear. "That's why I think you should go see Toby. Curiousity."

The words simmered below the surface as Sara prepped for bed. As she showered and dried her hair she thought about those long hours frantically chasing after Toby. She thought about how desperate she'd been when she'd run into the Escher room as she put out glasses for wine. The image of Jareth's face when the words finally came to her. The way the words had pressed against her lips and she knew she couldn't hold them back...even for her own dreams. Her dreams of freedom, of belonging somewhere. Her dream that she wouldn't just fade from existence. Her dream that this wouldn't be her last adventure. All of them had fallen by the wayside as little Sara had felt that climax of her play descend on her. Her personal rehearsals, dress and not, before her loyal coach Merlin had led up to that moment right? That moment when Sara learned that most of the time you gave up your dreams for family, for those you love...but what if you loved the person in your dreams more?

The suite door opened, scattering her memories, and Sara turned to blow out her last candle before greeting Jareth. His silhouette was a familiar part of her night. Maybe she should have questioned the situation more but honestly "curses are complicated" was enough of an explanation for Sara, who had dealt out her own curses over her years of practicing magic.

She reached for his hand and led him to the alcove that overlooked the valley. Jareth squeezed and then rasied her hand to kiss her palm. Sara hummed at the small gesture. Its was easy to be around him. He pressed another kiss to her temple while Sara reached up to direct his lips to hers. Kisses moved from brief and sharp to long and soft. She bit his lip and felt the growl in his chest as she pressed him to be more aggressive. Her dreams may have been lost to her all those years ago but what Sara found was childhood dreams and even adolescent dreams didn't hold up against adult reality and how his hand felt around her neck. He was gentle the first time he'd placed long, pianoforte fingers against the softness of her neck. The pressure had increased from there, making her a little dizzy but eventually Sara had let her mind drift. When he relaxed his hold and her blood began to flow again the rush left her smiling. She pressed kisses and then left bites on his shoulder. He ran his fingers through her hair before pulling back forcing Sara to expose her neck to him once more. Her eyes fell shut as Jareth pulled her down onto the couch by her hair. She lay back as one hand found her throat again as the other pulled away her skirt. Sara squirmed even though Jareth held her firmly in place as he explored every corner and inch between her legs. He pressed two fingers in her, his knuckles against her back wall as his fingertips traced the ridges behind her clit. Sara tightened as he drove his fingers into her so roughly her body rocked. Like that day in the Escher room Sara once more felt words press against her lips and she knew she couldn't hold the vulgarity back. She was answered by his chuckle.

"You like it when I hold you down?" His voice was like water seeping into her pores and filling her lungs so it was hard to breathe normally. He leaned in and kissed her cheek without stopping the motion of his digits inside of her.

"Jareth..." She whispered in a voice that felt like it wasn't her own.

"That's it, precious girl, just let go." The words coaxed her just as much as his fingers did until everything in Sara tightened, snapped and flooded her. Once her body relaxed Jareth moved back and reaching down scooped her up. She buried her head in his chest as they moved to the bedroom.

"Can you see in the dark?" Sara whispered as she looked into the pitch black of her room.

"Yes. Always have." Jareth replied quietly, kissing her temple. "Come on, you're leaving in the morning so you're going to need sleep."

"I'm leaving tomorrow? How's that going to work?" Sara snuggled into him just as Jareth attempted to place her bed so ended up in a pile of limbs.

"Oof. Yes. Magic." Jareth replied as he moved to rearrange them for sleep.

Sara sank into the mattress and down comforter. "Mmmmmmagic…" She hummed as the warmth of her bed sucked her into dreamland.

"Yes sweet thing, magic." Jareth settled down next to her. They lay in silence and let the night wrap them up. Other nights they'd laid there in the dark and talked of everything and nothing. She finally understood that sometimes you just wanted to hear someone's voice so much every story was worth hearing. Tonight the silence felt as welcome as the conversation had been. Just as Sara felt the tendrils of sleep weaving through her mind Jareth broke the quiet.

"Be careful with your stepmother when you get home." His voice barely audible his breath on her ear as he pulled her into his arms.

She couldn't find the need or strength to respond beyond another hum before sleep pressed all urgency away and she drifted off.

* * *

The trip was nothing to write about. When you sleep in a generic guest room at your parents that's proof you're really an adult. The blend of different and familiar kept Sara awake that night. Also the lack of another body in her bed. The graduation for Toby was touching and he'd loved the gift of old Norse Tales and the copy of Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman from both her and Jareth. He'd asked briefly about her new old partner and Sara ad merely replied that they'd reconnected after a long time apart. Her return to the castle could not have come fast enough. The Bear-King was out when she returned but Lyra promised he'd be home that evening. Sara shrugged and settled into her office for the afternoon, working on some leftover projects and a particularly nasty haunting she was consulting on. Once she retired to her room for dinner she had a chance to use one of the new candles Karen had insisted she take. It was supposed to smell like new snow and admittedly Sara was impressed by the scent. She poured wine and sat in her alcove, letting the candle burn as she waited for Jareth. The sun set and in the warmth and darkness of her now home Sara drifted off. Contentment filled her. She belonged where she was and wanted nothing more than to break this silly curse so she could see her love's face. The door opened. It woke her and Sara turned to see.

His face was marred with weariness and then with shock. His face. Sara saw his beautiful, wonderful, stupid face. Quickly she turned to blow out the candle Karen had so graciously given her but the flame wouldn't bow to her breaths.

"It's too late." Jareths voice found her in the darkness, broken some and still angry. "You saw me. There was just one more month and we would have been free. Now, she can claim me."

The room started to glow around Jareth and with a snap the most hideous woman Sara had ever seen stood next to Jareth, a pale hand with too long fingers gripping his elbow. Huge blue eyes stared up at Jareth out of a much too young face, a small pink tongue swiping across lips so pale they were blue tinged. A crown of ice seemed to grow from between her white blonde braids.

"Come, my pet. We're to be wed." Her voice was small, almost childish but with a hunger that Sara thought might devour her.

"Get away from him..." Sara threw her wine glass at the woman, watching it shatter and stain the others white fur cloak.

"I am the Princess Regent of the Trolls and I will have my Goblin King. You had your chance witch. You failed." It was like being scolded by a child who thinks they understand the world.

Sara rolled her eyes. "I don't care. You can't have him."

Jareth hadn't moved the whole time, eyes on the floor as the women bickered. "She can. She does. Let me go Sara."

"No." She felt her voice breaking. "I just saw you again." He smiled and Sara felt years of sunrises together slip away. "I saw you…"

"I know…" Then he and the Troll were gone.

Sara crumbled to the floor, threw the candle against the window and listened to it shatter. She sat staring at the wax dry to the marble flooring as feelings welled up in her. It was as if she'd done all the needed research and put in all the hours and at the last minute the position went to someone else. It wasn't fair. She smirked. Life wasn't fair. But life also didn't have to follow the rules. Getting to her feet Sara called for Lyra.

"Where did she take him?" Sara grabbed her backpack to fill with various spell ingredients and then with food.

Lyra, who'd come at her call shrugged. "They say the Trolls rule from East of the Sun and West of the Moon."

Sara zipped the pack and moved to tie her boots. "Then I'll just have to go there."

Lyra frowned. "No one knows where that is."

Sara laughed. "Really? There's always someone. I'll find that someone and I'll get him back."

Throwing on a cloak and shouldering her backpack, Sara set off. The entire castle staff was assembled but she kept her head high as she marched between the rows to front entrance. She looked out into the night and without hesitation she set off. She'd find the way. She'd done it before. The night was dark and the forest thick but Sara kept walking. As the sun was starting to cut through the foliage she knew she needed rest. It looks as if this wasn't going to be over in 13 hours. So she found a grove to make camp in and began casting her protection spells. Her brain had been going over every detail of the previous evening. The stupid candle. The troll princess. Jareth's face. Her broken heart. Sara didn't like losing and she wasn't about to have some Troll princess with no real claim on her King take him from her. At least she assumed the claim was baseless or they wouldn't have needed to resort to curses. She taken a few books with her including her own book of shadows for research and recording on her trip. Plus she had her cards although they didn't like to help when Sara could figure things out on her own. Once her wards were up Sara nestled into her sleeping bag against the Elm tree and got to work researching Trolls, their behaviors and ways they were dealt with. Unfortunately she found that tales of them were varied and inconclusive. They seemed to bother humans every so often but mostly they were mentioned off hand. Trolls lived where it was cold. Often it was said the sun would turn them to stone. Mostly the stories made them sound the same as Huldre or Nisse or Jotun. It was as if this entire race of beings was accused of everything they didn't do. Frustrated Sara merely recorded her observations about the Princess Regent and then let herself drift off to sleep.


End file.
